Collapsible dump bailer



y 1, 1963 D. E. SMINK ETAI. 3,090,441

COLLAPSIBLE DUMP BAILER Filed Sept. 12, 1960 INVENTORS. DAVlD E. SMINK, GARLAND C. TERREL,

ATTORNEY The present invention concerns a dump bailer for use in wells which collapses and expels its content and which is suspendible and run in the well borehole on a solid, nonconducting wireline.

Wireline run dump bailers that discharge their con- ,tents by gravity are available, but it is often difiicult to dump their contents completely when a viscous fluid is .carried; cement carried in this type dump bailer often is impossible to dump because partial dehydration takes place while the bailer is being lowered in the well. To

3 overcome these difliculties in the use of gravity-type dump bailers, attempts have been made to forcibly dispel the contents; e.g., an explosive charge has been used to discharge the bailer. However, this arrangement has disadvantages, because an electrical conductor cable is needed to supply electricity to cause the explosive charge to A primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a dump bailer that forcibly expels its contents and which can be run in the well on a nonconducting type wireline.

Briefly, the invention comprises a plurality of extensible, collapsible, telescopic members adapted to initially provide chambers to contain material it is desired to place at a preselected position in a well; means arranged on the end of the lowermost member adapted to initially retain the expellable material in the chambers; and means for releasing the material-retaining means to permit the material to be forcibly expelled from the chambers.

The above object and other objects of the invention will be apparent from a more detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a well tubing and shows one form of the dump bailer in runningin position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that shown in FIG. 1 and illustrating the dump bailer of FIG. 1 in collapsed condition;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a well tubing and shows another embodiment of the dump bailer in runningin position; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that shown in FIG. 3 illustrating the dump bailer in collapsed condition.

For a more complete description of the invention, reference to the figures in greater detail will now be made. In FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown a well pipe 10 in which is arranged a dump bailer generally designated 11, which includes a wireline tool section 12 suspended on a solid, nonconducting wireline 1 3. A stem or rod 14 is connected to and extends from the lower end of wireline tool 12. The lower end of stem 14, provided with a plunger or piston member 15, is positioned within the uppermost member 16 of a plurality of extensible, collapsible, telescopic members 16, 17, and =18, which in the extended position, as seen in FIG. 1, provide chambers for the retention of material, such as cement 19, to be dumped in the well. Stem 14 is initially afi'ixed releasably to the uppermost telescopic member 16 by means of a shear pin 20. The lowermost telescopic member 18 is provided at its lower end with a check valve 21, which includes a closure element 22 for closing off an opening 23 formed in the lower end of telescopic member 18 and a spring United States Patent "ice 24 adapted to urge the closure element 22 to closed position.

In FIG. 2 is shown a pipe collar 25 interconnecting two section-s of pipe string '10 and a conventional collar stop apparatus 26, which includes dogs 27 for engaging the recess in collar 25, and an upper stop lug 28, which engages the lower end of check valve 21.

In the operation of this embodiment of the invention, when it is desired to spot material in pipe string 10 along the length thereof or at the bottom thereof, dump bailer 1-1 in extended position, as seen in FIG. 1 is lowered in pipe string 10 on wireline 13. Check valve 21 retains the cement or other material 19 in the chambers of the telescopic members, sections 16, 17, and 18 during running-in, the spring 24 being just strong enough to keep closure element 22 in position to keep opening 23 closed. If it is desired to dump the contents on the bottom of the hole, the tool may be run to the bottom and collapsed. As illustrated in FIG. 2, if it is desired to dump the cement somewhere along the length of pipe string 10, then collar stop apparatus 26 is run in pipe string 10 first, and dogs 27 are latched in the pipe collar at the depth it is desired to dump the contents of the dump bailer. In the event it is desired to dump the contents of the bailer somewhere close to the bottom of the hole a bar in place of collar stop apparatus 26 may first be dropped in pipe string 10, the upper end of which would engage the lower end of check valve 21 to permit the tool to collapse and dump. In any event, whether the bottom of the hole, lug 28, or a bar is used to force open closure member 22 against the bias of spring 124, the members 16, 1:7, and 18 are collapsed, and cement 19 is forcibly expelled from the chambers formed by these members by raising up and jarring down of the tool 12 by means of wireline 13. Jarring down on tool 12 also causes shear pin 20 to shear, which releases the connection between stem 14 and upper members 16 and permits plunger 15 to force the last of the cement contained in the chamber formed by member 18 from this member, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 2. To remove the dump bailer from pipe string 10, it is only necessary to pick up on wireline 13, for all of the parts are interconnected, stem 14 being connected to the telescopic members through plunger 15.

In the operation of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, telescopic members 16 to 18 are collapsed from top to bottom. In the embodiment of the dump bailer shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, telescopic sec tions containing cement are collapsed from bottom to top. This dump bailer, generally designated 30, is suspended in well pipe 10 on a wireline 31 and on a shear pin 34, mounted in an anchoring section 33. Wireline 31 is suspended from a wireline tool string 32, which in turn is connected to a wireline (not shown). Thus, as seen in FIG. 3, wireline 31 extends from wireline tool string 32 through anchoring section 33, to which it is pinned by shear pin 34 to the lower end of the lowermost member 35 of a plurality of telescoping, extensible, retractable members 35, 3'6, and 37. Wireline 3 1 is not in tension when dump bailer 30 is in the running-in position as shown in FIG. 3. The telescopic members 35, 36, and 37, when extended, provide chambers for the material, such as cement 19, to be dumped. The lowermost end of member 35 is closed by a retainer disc 38, which may be aluminum, and which is connected by mean-s of a shear pin connection 39, to member 351 The anchoring section 33 includes a plurality of pivotal dogs 40 adapted to lodge in the recess of a pipe collar 25 inter-connecting sections of pipe string 10. The inner ends of dogs 40 are restrained from moving upwardly by shear pin 41. Thus, the dogs do not prevent downward movement of the bailer, but prevent upward movement of the bailer once dogs 40 latch in a recess of a pipe collar until shear pins 41 are sheared upon application of sufiicient upward force.

In the operation of the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, dump bailer 30 is run in tubing string 10 on wireline 3-1 and on wireline tool string 32 (by'means of shear pin 34) until the depth is reached at which it is desired to dump cement 19. Then, wireline tool string 32 and dump bailer 30 are picked up until dogs 40 engage in the recess of collar 25. fFhen, continued upward pull on wireline tool string 32 shears shear pin '34 interconnecting the tool string and anchoring section 33 and causes tension to be applied to the wireline 31, which moves member @5 upwardly and causes shear pin 39 to fracture, which releases retainer disc 38. Members 35, 36, and 37 then are forced into telescoped-positions by continued upward movement of wireline 31, and tool string 32 and cement '19 is forcibly dumped from the chambers. If necessary, to dislodge cement 19 members 35, 36, and 37 may be jarred by juggling wireline tool string 32 and wireline 31.

When it is desired to remove this bailer, continued upward movementof wireline tool string 32 and wireline 31 causes shear pin 41 to shear to release anchoring dogs 40.

Having fully described the elements, operation, and objects of our invention, we claim:

1. A dump bailer adapted to be lowered in a well bore ona wireline comprising a plurality of vertically extensible, collapsible, telescopically connectedmembers forming chambers for initially containing material to be expelled therefrom and dumped in said wellbore; releasable means arranged on the lower end of the lowermost telescopic member adapted to initially retain said expellable material in said chambers; and means for releasing said releasable material retaining means to permit said material to be expelled from at least all but one of said chambers upon collapse of said telescopic members.

2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for releasing said releasable material retaining means includes a check valve adapted to open upon engagement with an obstruction in said well bore.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 including a slidable stem initially connected to the uppermost of said telescopic members and extending into the chamber formed by the uppermost telescopic member, the lower interior end of said stem being provided with a plunger for aiding in expelling said material from all of said chambers upon collapse of said telescopic members.

4. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said releasable material retaining means includes a releasable disc arranged in the lower end of said lowermost telescopic member and wherein said means for releasing said material retaining means includes a wireline initially not in tension connected to the lower end of the lowermost telescopic member and first shear pin means releasably connecting said wireline to said uppermost telescopic member and anchoring means connected to'said telescopic member adapted to prevent upward movement of said dump bailer in said well bore and second shear pin means releasably connecting said retainer disc to said lowermost telescopic member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,331,631 Rogers et a1. Oct. 12, 1943 

1. A DUMP BAILER ADAPTED TO BE LOWERED IN A WELL BORE ON A WIRELINE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY EXTENSIBLE, COLLAPSIBLE, TELESCOPICALLY CONNECTED MEMBERS FORMING CHAMBERS FOR INITIALLY CONTAINING MATERIAL TO BE EXPELLED THEREFROM AND DUMPED IN SAID WELL BORE; RELEASABLE MEANS ARRANGED ON THE LOWER END OF THE LOWERMOST TELE- 